Indian activist on hunger strike remains stable, doctor says

Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike kept its political pressure intact after doctors said he remained stable, a sign that the standoff over India’s exam controversy was still unresolved. The activist was moved to a New Delhi hospital after his condition worsened on the 21st day of the fast, which is aimed at forcing the resignation of federal Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities.

Wangchuk, 59, had been fasting at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, where he was protesting alleged paper leak irregularities in the national NEET-UG 2026 medical entrance examination. His supporters have framed the fast as an act of solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party, while the protest itself has become a public test of how far authorities will go before intervening.

Doctors had already been monitoring his condition closely. Vital signs were checked on July 15, and later assessments found signs of dehydration and physical weakness. His blood pressure and blood sugar levels had remained stable, even as The Print said he had lost nearly 9.5 kg since the strike began.

The medical picture has not removed the legal pressure around the protest. The Delhi High Court asked authorities to intervene if Wangchuk’s condition worsened, reflecting the tension between respecting the fast as political expression and protecting his health as the strike continued. That balance has become central to the response from officials, medical staff and supporters, who are watching to see whether the campaign gains force or runs into physical limits.

Wangchuk’s protest sits within a long Indian tradition of fasting as political leverage when normal channels appear stalled. BBC’s historical explainer on hunger strikes recalled Potti Sriramulu’s 1952 fast, which lasted 58 days and helped force the creation of a separate Andhra state. Wangchuk’s case has revived that same logic of sacrifice, with the condition of one activist now measuring how long the confrontation can continue before the authorities are compelled to act.